Philippine eagle chick dies at 18 days in Davao breeding sanctuary

An 18-day-old Philippine eagle chick, known as Chick 30, has died at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary in Davao City. The Philippine Eagle Foundation announced the death on Saturday, highlighting the challenges of raising critically endangered species. Chick 30 showed signs of respiratory distress earlier in the week and declined despite receiving immediate care. A necropsy indicated that yolk sac retention, a rare condition for the foundation, may have caused the death. The Philippine Eagle Foundation noted that this loss is a setback for their breeding program. They aim to learn from this experience to improve their care practices for future eaglets.